The Nightshade
by luxlow
Summary: The Nightshade have Matt. But who are the Nightshade?
1. Prologue

**P**rologue

To remember a sin

Marlinja, 730 km south of Darwin, Australia

There's only one way of describing it. Horror, pure and undiluted horror. When He came home, when Tommy broke out of prison. I knew then and there, I was doomed. That he would come for me. I'll start at the beginning, when I remember when Tommy and I were best friends, we were friends for life. He might have been fifteen and I was ten at the time, I will never forget what he did. I will never forget the day it happened.

Night time, crickets croaking in the distant background, the noise pouring though the curtain draped tinted windows. The heat seeps through the cracks of the closed windows, like a deadly mist lingering about. The old television on, glowing, illuminating the room, the white lines of static flowing from the bottom to the top from the bad reception. I tilted my head onto my broad, square shoulders, my eyes staring out into darkness. My faint reflection gazing back at me. My arms rested against the arm rests on the crimson recliner. My plain blue tee-shirt and boxers sticking to my sweaty skin. I pushed myself out of the chair, unsticking myself as my pores clench, like their crying out "No! We want to stay!" I dragged my feet across the dirty wooden floors; my feet were black from the dirt outside and the floorboards.

Then I herd the sound. The crash. Pots and pans clanging loudly throughout the house. The yelling noises, echoing, vibrating the windows. The screams of terror ringing through the supposed empty house. I'm frightened. I ran toward my room, my blackened feet lightly thudding on the floorboards. I opened my door then slowly closed it behind me. I slid my wardrobe door open, my reflection looked scared, I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. Consumed by darkness, not a flicker of light. I opened the door a fraction of a centimeter. Light streams into wardrobe. I pressed my eye to the crack and looked out. Nothing.

My bedroom door crashed to the ground. My mother flailing about on it. I watch her eyes withering in fear, from side to side like a washing machine. I placed my fingers through the crack and started to pull when a shadow fell onto of my mum. I watched as the person leaned over her, a kitchen knife brandished in their hand, then pressed it upon my mother's delicate neck, blood slowly oozed out of her neck. They lean over even further, only a whisper escaped their mouth. "Now!" said the assailant. I nearly fell over there. I knew that voice. That loving, that caring voice. Tommy. "Don't make me say this again! Where is he?" his husky voice said. A strand of his jet black hair fell onto my mums petrified face. "I…I… don't know." My mother spluttered, blood trickling from her mouth onto her whitened face.

"Well then, that's just too bad. Isn't it?" He replied in a whisper. I watched as the knife slid across her neck, the skin rippling then splitting and exposing the muscle underneath. The trickling blood started to flow faster down her neck, staining the wood underneath her. Big, fat tears started to slide down my cheeks. I watch as Tommy ruffles his black hair in frustration, a blizzard of white snow falling upon my mother. I'm thought that I should reveal myself, try to help my mother? Or hide away? "When I get you, you sniveling brat, I will kill you." He promised. Tommy howled into the night, raised his blood stained face to the ceiling. My heart skipped a beat. Why would he say that? I thought.  
The windows in my room glinted with the colors of blue and red. I sore my eye staring back at me, my face deep in purple. Oh my god! I had forgotten to breathe. I heard Tommy leave the room. My lungs started to try and burst out of my chest. I let out a long breath of air and sucked in some more. I heard another crash as something fell on something or somebody else. "You have the right to remain silent!" ordered a voice. I heard Tommy scream at the police officers. I slid open the door and dropped to my knees at mothers side. My tears splashed onto her white face. I heard footsteps toward my room. A police officer loomed over me. "God damn it!" he muttered to himself. Then he noticed me near my mothers head. "Come on little one, let's get you out of hear." he said to me. I stood up and reached for his large hand. I looked up into the officers eyes. Security.

Now six years later, he breaks out of prison with only one thought. Kill Max Stevens. He's back and not very happy. This is when I realised that I had to confront him, to permanently take him out of action. Now I realised that the world isn't such a great place, when I found out the world is cruel.


	2. Chapter 1

_C_hapter 1

Australian Dreaming

Campbelltown, Sydney, Australia

23rd March, 2008

Thunder rolls down the street. I am about to scream but I manage to swallow it back down my throat. I breathe heavily to try to calm myself. Why aren't I having fun? It is Easter after all isn't it? The busy commuters that had to work today (suckers) are slowly making their way home. Me? I am a shapeless nobody that only looks like their going to rob the joint in front of me. According to whom though? Them. All of them. Them in their cars, flying past. Them in their houses as I walk by, their music blaring into the street. Just them.

Rain pelts down upon on the concrete walkway. The noise of the rain dancing on the metal awnings ringing in peoples ears as they walk past. Shops closed their large windows with tiny signs all saying the same thing. "Closed for Easter!" This is Campbelltown. What other township would celebrate some person being killed?  
Cannot think of any! After all this, where am I? I am on Queen Street, loitering. So much fun! Another thing, how many times did Jesus resurrect himself? Because there have been so many different dates for Easter, which one did he do it? I dunno, I am not that old. Man! Campbelltown is so much different from a dusty country town in the N.T.

I, the shapeless blob weave out of the way of the trash as it darts around the place. How am I a shapeless blob? All one color. Black. Black slacks. Black shirt. Black hoodie. All shapeless, merged onto one shapeless person. I am to thin they say. They as in my 'Parents'. The people who took me in. No relation or anything. They of course were told about Tommy. About the Witness Protection I went through. I can still remember him screaming at me during the court case. Calling me names in front of the jury, projecting his every hating thought at me. That is when I was committed (not as in mental case, but the W.P.) into this place. Campbelltown. Such a weird name. However, I can't talk. Max. So simple. So common.

A flash of lightning momentarily illuminates my face. The scars of life hiding behind the black hood. The black leads of my Ipod making shadows down my face. I've changed. I admit it. I only listened to country up in the Territory, but here it's all pop and rock all the way! On high, my ipod hiding underneath my hoodie. I look around myself. Nobody. Nowhere. I start to sing under my breath. I cross the tar road back onto the wet pavement. I start to feel the water from my shoulders leaking onto my back. I square my shoulders and keep walking, making my shoulders hunched again. The old buildings beside me looking like they are going to topple at any moment in the fierce wind. The Mall and the old theatre on the other side of the road. I start to dance. Nobody's looking, why not? Chris Brown style! Looking like I'm gliding, I sweep into the McDonalds parking lot, heading for the far side of the drive through alleyway and under the roads bridge.

I take off my hood and my earpieces. I part my hair and get a clear look around myself. McDonald bags floating around, ice cream rappers flapping in the buffeting wind. The traffic overhead nosily going past. I used to like watching the cars zoom past my house. There weren't many cars up in Marlinja. Seeing this many was overwhelming, at first. Slowly I got used to it. Just like my new life. Just getting used to it was the key the councillors said. All I heard was really "Blah! Blah! Blah!" See? nothing! Either that or I just don't listen. Leaning more at the second option. I wonder why?

I wait until the rain eases to a slight drizzle then continue across the circular path, around the cricket oval (Putting my Ipod on again, of cause!). Puddles of water dance around me as water droplets hits them. The willow tree throwing its impossibly long branches around itself. I walk through the empty car park with my head down. As I head onto The Parkway I repeatedly glance around myself. I dunno why, but it just feels like I'm being followed now. That's when the first car appears. A black Commodore swerves onto the road in front of me. It stops a few metres from me. I momentarily pause. The keep walking. I spot a second Commodore as it weaves into a slot between two cars further ahead. Then I spot the third one on the other side of the road. Now I stop.

They all walk in unison. Their uniforms all the same. I take in their details. All white males, mid twenties, clean shaven and all with mikes. Secret service! I think stupidly. They walk robotically. Left, right, left right. I cock my eyebrow at them. Confusing. "Max Maken?" one of them asks.  
"Yes?" I ask hesitantly. I peer closely at their heads. I step back astonished. They all seem to be supermodels. But all with the same face. It's not possible!  
"We are from the Nightshade, you need to come with us." the first one says.  
Their robots! Androids sent to kidnap me.  
"I'm sorry, where are you from?" I ask.  
"Wrong answer." It raises its arm and sprays a mist out of its hand and puts a rag against it. Chloroform! I start to run, but amazingly the second and third one appear at my sides, and hold me. I struggle against their iron clasp. Damn these guys where strong! The first android walks up to me and presses the rag against my nose and mouth. I try hold my breath but it doesn't work. I breath in the sickly sent and slowly it seems become less aware of my senses. I start to drop, only a few centimetres as they hold me. I still am awake as they push me into the car. Now I drop of into the dreaming world.


	3. Chapter 2

_C_hapter 2

Attack or Defend

Unknown Location

23rd March, 2008

Slowly I regain my senses. An alien world surrounds me. A distant buzzing noise and a faint voice pour through a small speaker in the top left corner of the white room. I try to raise myself, but my arms fell like their made of iron. I'm paralysed! I gasp at the horror. "I hope that wasn't for my face." A voice comes from the wooden door. I swivel my head in the direction and see a young boy staring back at me. "Because if it is, I will have to punish you." He said this in a monotone, not a single raise or drop in pitch. I study the boy. A large burn envelops half of his face which I see through his dark brown hair; he's wearing a black tuxedo and leather shoes. "My name is Desmond Hammond. You are Max. Now we are acquainted, we can do business."

I hold back laughing, this is so not the time. "How am I meant to do business when you paralysed me?" My voice rises with anger searing out. "Oh, your not paralysed just tranquilised. Don't worry; I'll get a medic to fix you." Suddenly a girl with blonde curls walks in, holding a syringe. She jabs me in the neck without so much of a second thought, then walks back outside. "Do try and get it in the bucket." Desmond says. What on earth is he talking about? Then I felt it. I vomit into the bucket next to me. "There! Don't you feel so much better?" The more this boy talks, the more I hate him. "Welcome to the Nightshade!"

I stand without very much balance, but I manage it. "What the hell is the Nightshade?" I stammer. Desmond looks up at me; he is extremely short. "Follow me." He darts toward the door, jeez he's quick!

"I asked what is the Nigh-"I start.

"And I said follow me! What part do you not understand? The "follow" or the "me"?"

"All I'm doing is asking a question!" I yell.

"And I'm giving you an answer!" He replies.

He leads me down a series of corridors; I try to make a mental map of where we're going but I lose the picture after the fourth turn. A set of double doors appears after the 8th or so turn I think. I don't know how this Desmond character found it; it all looks the same with the same white paint in every wall. He turns the handle and opens the doors to reveal a magnificent room, filled with teenagers, computers and a large monitor to the front. "This is the Nightshade"

I stand flabbergasted for around five short seconds, but it's enough to get the attention of some boys close to the doors on a smaller secondary screen. "The Nightshade is an organisation of teenagers. We are no ordinary teens though. We all have special abilities. You are either an Attacker or a Defender. You though are the exception to this rule. You are both, the rarest of rare. You are a prize jewel." Desmond explains.

"You said 'special abilities'. What do you mean?" I ask. He moves forward, toward the front of the room.

"I'm not talking about Superman or Batman. I'm talking about human traits. Some people are good at attacking, some at defending. Or like you both, but that is very rare. People can learn to attack and defend, but what I talk about is different. It is an instinct within a person that can never be lost or forgotten. Its just there."

"And you just abduct teens with this ability?" I ask

"No. Not normally. But you are the exception. We usually meet the person in a secure location and tell them." Desmond stops in front of a computer. "The reason why we abducted you was because of your position."

"My position?" I look at him confused.

"Yes, your position."

"And what is my position?" I ask.

"This is." He presses Enter on the keyboard and a picture of Tommy enlarged face appears on the screen. A grin is spread across his face. I realise that it's his prison photo. "What do you know of Tommy's escape?" Desmond asks.


End file.
